Pelicans clinging to life in play-in tournament race after beating Rockets in rematch

Pelicans clinging to life in play-in tournament race after beating Rockets in rematch
Bank Image

HOUSTON — After a loss to the last-place Houston Rockets on Friday, the New Orleans Pelicans understood their margin for error was thin in their final dozen games of the season.

With a difficult four-game West Coast road trip looming and an extended home stand against elite teams in each conference still on deck, beating the bad teams is essential.

On Sunday, the Pelicans did that by blasting the Rockets in a 117-107 win at Toyota Center.

CJ McCollum shook off a poor performance Friday by scoring 26 points on 9-of-18 shooting. McCollum and Brandon Ingram, who scored 26 points on 12-of-24 shooting, had efficient outings as New Orleans washed the bad taste out of its mouth after blowing a double-digit fourth-quarter lead in Houston two nights earlier.

“We got a few more stops,” McCollum said. “Prevented some second-chance opportunities. Took advantage of some open looks based on the flow of our offense. Tried to get big fella (Jonas Valanciunas) some touches.”

For weeks, Pelicans coach Willie Green has been harping on his team to get off to better starts. The Pelicans have done that in each of their past two games. They built a 10-point lead after one quarter in Sunday’s game.

Backup point guard Jose Alvarado likes to hide in the corner and steal the opposing team’s inbounds pass. His signature move is called the “Grand Theft Alvarado.”

Alvarado missed his ninth consecutive game Sunday while he recovers from a stress fracture in his right tibia. His teammate Naji Marshall paid homage to him by pulling off a Grand Theft Alvarado of his own at the end of the first quarter. Marshall stole the ball from the Rockets. The ball was swung to him at the top of the 3-point arc, and his shot from 27 feet away was true.

The Pelicans knocked down 13 3-pointers, and they took care of the ball too. They had 28 assists compared to nine turnovers. Clean play allowed them to take a 20-point lead into halftime.

New Orleans’ starting five out-played Houston’s. All five Pelicans starters were in double figures after three quarters.

Jonas Valanciunas posted a second consecutive double-double. The Lithuanian center mauled the Rockets inside by racking up 21 points and 11 rebounds. 

“I think we all worked together today,” Valanciunas said. “Everybody touched the ball. We were playing for each other. Trying to get somebody open. Set a good screen. Find a teammate. It was fun to play like that. We had a bunch of assists. We weren’t holding the ball. It’s great to play that way.”

Trey Murphy contributed 14 points, and Herb Jones had 13 points. 

The Rockets stayed within striking distance by getting to the free-throw line. They connected on 21 consecutive foul shots to begin the game. An Usman Garuba miss late in the third quarter disrupted that streak.

A pair of Kevin Porter Jr. makes from the foul line got the Rockets within eight points of the lead midway through the fourth quarter. But on the Pelicans’ ensuing possession, Murphy drained a 3 from the right wing. That stretched their lead back to 11 points with 5:57 left.

Ingram scored nine points in the final quarter to help put the game out of reach. 

New Orleans (34-37) moved within ½ a game of 10th place in the West. It next plays Tuesday against another cellar dweller, the San Antonio Spurs.

“We are at the point in the season where we have to do it,” Valanciunas said.

Source

About Marc Lemoine 2033 Articles
Marc is an Economist and a well experienced weightlifter who has won many championships. He intends to build a bright career in the media industry as well. He is a sports freak who loves to cover the latest news on sports, finance and economy.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*